


We are Functional Adults, Honest

by Merlin_would_love_vines



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Crack, Drunken Shenanigans, Drunkenness, Flower Crowns, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Good Morgana (Merlin), Happy, Merlin is a Little Shit, Season/Series 01, They are happy like they deserved to be
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26227108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merlin_would_love_vines/pseuds/Merlin_would_love_vines
Summary: The core four take an evening to relax with a bit of wine and a hint of stupidity, and flower crowns are much better than real ones.
Relationships: Gwen & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Gwen & Merlin & Morgana & Arthur Pendragon, Gwen & Merlin (Merlin), Gwen & Morgana (Merlin), Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Merlin & Morgana (Merlin), Morgana & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 85





	We are Functional Adults, Honest

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!

Arthur had had a day full of princely duties assigned by his father that bored him to no end. And to get through it, had gruffly ordered Merlin to fetch the finest wine from the royal kitchens and good company near the evening hour so he had some sort of relaxation for when the tiring day came to a close.

That was how Merlin came to find himself in the Lady Morgana's chambers well into the night with said Lady, her maid, and the Prince of Camelot. The boys were farther along in their drunken stuper than the girls, who had decided they wanted to be at least halfway sober to remember the boys making fools of themselves. Morgana in particular was going to have a ball recalling to Arthur his drunken words.

"You ass!" Merlin shouted the words practically in the blond's face. Arthur recoiled on the stone floor were they sat.

"Me?!" Arthur swung his arm out, his goblet being nearly empty saving him the scolding he would have received from Morgana had any of the dark liquid inside it stained her floors. "You're the stubborn mule I don't punish nearly enough!"

Merlin scoffed. "Believe me, your presence is punishment enough."

Morgana and Gwen shared an amused glance atop the large chest they shared, while Arthur's jaw dropped. They raised their cups to their lips in tandem while watching the show.

"That right there! That's what I'm talking about, I should have you punished just for that!" He exclaimed.

Morgana laughed. "How so?"

"What?" Arthur snapped his head to her, looking dismayed. His drunken brain was having slightly more trouble understanding the question that it would at it's full strength.

"What would his punishment be?" Morgana clarified. "A cattle prod would surely be much too rough treatment for a scrawny boy like Merlin." That last bit was added just to see the glare she knew the wizard would send her way. She returned it with a cheeky wink and giggled when he promptly choked on his wine. The Ward looked to Gwen, who lightly slapped her Lady's arm in response and tried to hold back laughing at the poor manservant's expense.

Arthur, not noticing the interaction in the slightest, looked deep in thought for a moment. "Polishing my belt."

He held his head high, as if he had just told them a most astonishing fact that made him out as a brilliant mind.

"The belt I have to put another hole in," Merlin muttered over the rim of his goblet. The Prince made a very good impression of a fish with his gaped mouth and bulging eyes.

"I'll have you executed for that!" He burst as he leapt to his feet, only tripping slightly. Merlin had much more difficulty scrambling up and narrowly avoided Arthur's reaching arm. The forgotten goblit, almost knocked over in the servant's drunken escape, was quickly snatched up by Morgana before she took a generous swig from it.

At the pointed stare her maid gave her, she shrugged, "It's not as if he'll be alive to drink the rest of it anyway." One hand vaguely gestured to the servant hiding behind her table. Gwen rolled her eyes and peered around the King's Ward to watch the boy's antics.

Arthur let out a grunt and tried to corner the dark-haired servant leading him in circles round the table. He finally made for a hasty reach across, nearly lying flat over it. Merlin shoved forward the vase of flowers Gwen had brought Morgana that morning, and straight into Arthur's face. That was going to leave a bruise.

"Run Merlin!" Gwen called out with a smile.

Rushing as fast as the stoat he had been claimed to resemble, the servant made a beeline for Morgana's bed and took a dramatic leap onto it. His foot caught on the edge and he landed face first before quickly righting himself. Gwen and Morgana were laughing loudly at this point as they watched him shuffle like an injured horse with his arms spread. And somehow duck the vase Arthur sent sailing for his head.

Merlin watched it crash into the wall and shards fall to Morgana's pillow before snapping his head to the Prince. "Perhaps more work on your aim, sire?"

That was all it took for Arthur to run and lunge at the man, tackling him to the bed. He let out a triumphant shout while Merlin started slapping at the weight over him.

"Get off! You're heavy!"

Morgana downed the rest of Merlin's drink and tried for a serious expression. "Come now, I still have to sleep there!"

She managed to keep the stern look until she met Gwen's eye. They once again burst into laughter while rising and beginning to stagger over to detangle the men.

*

The strong sensation of warmth crawling across her back was what had Morgana begrudgingly blinking open her eyes, and quickly realizing she was firmly wrapped around someone. She sat up far too fast for her groggy brain as she detached herself from Merlin's back, the servant in turn having his arms latched onto the shin of a Prince lying face-down in the field.

Morgana raised a hand to her temple as her eyes traveled up the body to see Gwen sprawled across Arthur's back, the bright sun bearing down on her upturned face. Morgana watched the muscles of her friend's face scrunch before rich, brown eyes were trying to blink open only to immediately be shut tight again. Gwen sat up far more slowly, though the movement was enough to stir Arthur and therefore Merlin. The maid wiped at an eye with a balled fist and turned to look to Morgana as Merlin slowly raised to sit beside the Ward. Arthur merely groaned, earning a good shove from Gwen that had him flipped on his back. He threw an arm over his face to shield it from the sun's glare before slowly leaning up on the other one.

The four of them stared at each other as fuzzy memories of a loud game of what was supposed to be hide and seek in the citadel rushed back to them. The pieces of the night had more trouble coming into place when they took in their appearances.

Morgana had Merlin's red neckerchief loosely tied around her neck and her feet were oddly bare, whereas Gwen seemed to be wearing both of Arthur's boots. Neither of the women's footwear was anywhere to be seen. Wait, no, one of Gwen's shoes rested on Merlin's right foot, and his brown jacket was near bursting on Arthur's broad shoulders. Then Gwen pointed to the spot near where Arthur's head had lain, both of Morgana's heels impaled in the earth there.

The four shared another look before the ridiculousness of it all made them erupt in laughter. It died slowly as they removed each other's articles and a warm tiredness crept into their bones.

Merlin leaned back on both arms and sighed in contentment while Gwen slowly ran her hands through the soft grass and flowers they were sat upon. Arthur gave her a look when she started to pluck the petaled plants from the field and fiddled with them in her hands.

"Guinevere, what are you doing?"

She didn't look up from her work. "Making you a crown."

He made a face. "I've already got a crown."

"Well, then you won't be getting another. That one shall be Merlin's and this one Gwen's," Morgana quipped as she began to make one of the endearments herself. Merlin too started to follow the girls' leads while Arthur pouted. 

There was soon a beautiful ornament made of blue lilacs atop Gwen, Merlin, and Morgana's heads. Morgana's was a bit wonky because it had been so long since Merlin had made such a gift, but her eyes shone with gratitude as Merlin offered it to her.

Arthur did end up with a crown. And he didn't complain as Gwen gently placed it over his golden hair, because if everyone else was getting one, then he wanted some stupid flowers on his head as well. Though he could not deny that the blues did look rather fetching on the four of them.

They stayed like that for as long as they dared, joyful and free and without a care in the world as they basked in each others' company, remaking the delicate crafts if they were carried away with the laughter in the breeze being their only concern.


End file.
